Garret Sparks made Toronto Maple Leafs history on Monday night, becoming the first goalie in franchise history to get a shutout in his NHL debut. The 22 year old former 7th round pick got the nod with James Reimer injured and Jonathan Bernier struggling and he made Mike Babcock look like a genius stopping all 24 shots he faced. Sparks won’t be up on the Leafs long unless Reimer’s injury becomes a long term issue but he could be a solid streamer Wednesday at the Jets if Babcock goes back to him. We’ve seen rookie goalies get hot out of nowhere before, most notably Andrew Hammond last year. Here’s what else I saw in the four games on Monday night:
Blake Comeau – Goal on three shots. That’s five points in the last five games for Comeau. However, I wouldn’t pick him up and would only look to stream him in the right matchups. He only has 32 shots in 24 games this year and doesn’t have much of a goal scoring history outside of playing with one of the Penguins superstar centers last year.
Jarome Iginla – Goal on five shots ending a four game pointless streak. He’s nowhere near prime Iginla but with 16 points in 24 games, he still has plenty of value.
Carl Soderberg – Two assists with two shots and two PIM. He looks settled into the second line center role in Colorado now with six points in his last five games. The minutes and shot rate have steadily increased to respectable levels and Soderberg has 15 points on the season now. He’s borderline in 12’ers with his poor plus-minus but I think I would hold him for now if I grabbed him as a streamer.
Ryan Strome – Goal and an assist with three shots. First good streamer call of the night! The minutes were low again but he could be bumped up into the top six quickly with how often Capuano switches his lines. He’s also fringe right now because of his role; if you can afford to hold him, I would do so to see what happens because he’s a top 150 player if he’s in the top 6.
Kyle Okposo – Goal on four shots with two PIM. The first line for the Isles was poor last night but Okposo salvaged his night with an excellent shot on a 5 on 3 PP right at the end of the first period. He’s been solid all year and should continue to be so.
Elias Lindholm – Assist with six shots. After a dreadful start to the season, Lindholm has a point in five straight games playing big minutes. The former top 5 overall pick has a lot of talent so he’s a must own in dynasties and worth streaming in the short term. He could become a must-own in the near future if these minutes are stabilized.
Victor Rask – Goal on four shots. He’s very quietly put up a solid season with 8 goals and 7 assists through 24 games. He’s played over 18 minutes in five straight games and is locked into a big role. I think he’s right there as must-own in 12’ers right now. If I had to pick him or Soderberg, I’m going with Rask.
Kevin Hayes – Assist with a shot and two PIM. Only played 11:48 which is really strange with the injury to Derek Stepan; it looks like Vigneault stapled the offensive first guys to the bench in the third with a one goal lead. Regardless, it’s good to see Hayes still getting on the scoresheet.
Derick Brassard – Goal and an assist with four shots. He had been struggling recently so it was nice to see a good game from Brassard. The shot total is starting to creep back up towards a respectable number as well.
Chris Kreider – Goal with three shots. He’s been a massive disappointment this year but it was good to see him score with Stepan out. He’s also incredibly streaky so hopefully this kick starts him.
Mats Zuccarello – Goal on his only shot with two PIM. He extended his point streak against Carolina to 11 games. The goal rate will probably decrease unless his shot rate sees a boost but the points should definitely keep coming; he’s a 60-70 point player if he stays healthy.
Keith Yandle – Assist and two shots. Despite the Rangers being off to a great start, Yandle has disappointed this year with 13 points in 25 games. The shot rate has fallen off quite a bit too although it’s still solid for a defenseman. He’s a free agent after this season and I doubt the Rangers will pay to keep him so in keeper leagues, he’s probably a good target to acquire in a trade since his value could see a big boost depending where he goes to. He should still end up with 50ish points this year.
Leo Komarov – Two goals on three shots. Second great streamer call of the night! I can’t believe Uncle Leo is up to 10 goals on the season now. He’s a solid player but this production is great. I said yesterday that he’s a top-notch streamer at this point but I think he’s must-own now in 12’ers. He’s locked into the first line and the Leafs have looked much better recently.
James van Riemsdyk – Three assists with two shots. That’s five assists in the last three games for Charlie Conway. The goals should climb up a bit and he’s still right around three shots per game on the season so he’s producing right at a top 100 level considering his plus-minus is nowhere near as bad as it was expected to be preseason.
Nazem Kadri – Goal on five shots. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating; Kadri should have a hot streak soon as his shooting percentage regresses to the mean.
John Gibson – 25 save shutout against the Canucks. He’s the workhorse with Fredrik Andersen injured so if he’s available for some reason, grab him.
Ryan Getzlaf – Assist with a shot and four PIM. Hot streak continues. A bit unfortunate for his owners that he didn’t get a ten minute misconduct at the end of the game because he was going at it with multiple Canucks.
Corey Perry – Goal on two shots. Last night not withstanding, Perry’s shot rate was starting to increase back towards its normal rate which is a great sign. I’d try to buy Perry if at all possible.
Rickard Rakell – Goal on two shots. Looks like he’ll be the third wheel for a while in Anaheim so he’s worth owning as long as that lasts in 12’ers.
Tuesday Streamers: There’s a busy slate tonight with 10 games on the docket. Here are my top streaming options:
Mike Fisher (3.2% owned) – Fisher has scored in three straight games and gets a prime matchup at home against the Coyotes tomorrow. He’s my favorite stream of the night by a long shot.
Brad Richards (5.5%) – He’s been bumped up to the wing on the second line and the point on the first power play unit. The Sabres, while much better defensively recently, have had a poor penalty kill so far this year so look for the Red Wings to take advantage there.
Curtis Lazar (0.1%) – While he’s been a disappointment this year, Lazar is currently on the second line and power play unit for the Senators. The Flyers have been a mess and the Sens are playing wide open so with the minutes increase, I think Lazar gets on the scoresheet tomorrow.
That’s all for now guys. Make sure to check out Matt’s new Assume The Position that came out in the afternoon yesterday. As always, it has a solid breakdown of things so far and going forward. I’ll be back on Wednesday recapping all of the action on Tuesday night. As always, feel free to post any questions and comments below. Take care everyone!
